Criswell College 
The information on this page was last updated 2/14/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
By equipping students to know and love Scripture, Criswell prepares graduates as servants ready to cultivate change, solve problems, make peace, and move mountains.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Criswell College
4010 Gaston Avenue
Dallas, TX 75246-1537
Website: criswell.edu
Phone: 800-899-0012
Organization details
EIN: 756114836
CEO/President: Barry K. Creamer, Ph.D.
Chairman: Chris Lantrip
Board size: 16
Founder: Dr. W.A. Criswell
Ruling year: 1979
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1990
Purpose
Criswell College's institutional goals represent its fundamental ambitions and are the basis of departmental planning and operation. All departments establish outcomes that contribute to the fulfillment of each institutional goal.
Goal 1: Provide a more engaging and supportive experience for our students
Goal 2: Grow enrollment while providing support and resources for sustainability
Goal 3: Develop and strengthen the College's network of relationships
Mission statement
The mission of Criswell College is to provide ministerial and professional higher education for men and women preparing to serve as Christian leaders throughout society, while maintaining an institutional commitment to biblical inerrancy.
Statement of faith
Visit: https://www.criswell.edu/about/articles-of-faith/
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Colleges/Universities
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 894 of 1094 | 111 of 126 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 447 of 1097 | 49 of 126 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 945 of 1097 | 105 of 126 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 894 of 1094 | 115 of 126 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 12% | 11% | 9% | 17% | 19% | 23% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 2% | 7% | 6% | 9% | 4% | 10% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 15% | 60% | 67% | 54% | 23% | 43% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 2% | 7% | 7% | 10% | 7% | 7% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 85% | 40% | 33% | 46% | 77% | 57% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 84% | 73% | 71% | 70% | 70% | 75% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 95% | 92% | 82% | 91% | 64% | 134% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 79% | 67% | 58% | 63% | 45% | 100% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 5% | 8% | 18% | 9% | 36% | -34% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 4% | 2% | 5% | 2% | 12% | -6% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 13% | 20% | 22% | 20% | 23% | 18% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.50 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.24 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.67 | 2.59 | 2.19 | 1.86 | 1.86 | 3.55 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.55 | 0.49 | 0.46 | 0.40 | 0.38 | 0.87 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 7.30 | 36.25 | 7.60 | 60.66 | 78.84 | 43.51 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.14 | 0.03 | 0.13 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.28 | 23.72 | 22.87 | 29.63 | 30.80 | 13.55 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 25% | 24% | 14% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 15% | 22% | 8% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 141% | 402% | 412% | 463% | 478% | 408% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Cash | $1,914,601 | $2,746,174 | $1,766,733 | $269,851 | $314,276 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $195,815 | $209,386 | $157,741 | $347,024 | $213,304 |
| Short-term investments | $16,590,564 | $13,842,767 | $14,778,936 | $16,040,428 | $6,920,433 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $18,700,980 | $16,798,327 | $16,703,410 | $16,657,303 | $7,448,013 |
| Long-term investments | $10,679,574 | $8,427,979 | $8,912,201 | $9,366,003 | $8,421,398 |
| Fixed assets | $18,702,812 | $11,236,931 | $5,287,289 | $4,645,907 | $4,773,138 |
| Other long-term assets | $286,824 | $284,604 | $233,501 | $232,950 | $5,833,274 |
| Total long-term assets | $29,669,210 | $19,949,514 | $14,432,991 | $14,244,860 | $19,027,810 |
| Total assets | $48,370,190 | $36,747,841 | $31,136,401 | $30,902,163 | $26,475,823 |
| Liabilities | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $503,599 | $2,193,831 | $206,078 | $186,699 | $154,558 |
| Other current liabilities | $12,361 | $15,039 | $69,264 | $24,585 | $16,627 |
| Total current liabilities | $515,960 | $2,208,870 | $275,342 | $211,284 | $171,185 |
| Debt | $10,874,658 | $2,973,657 | $28,680 | $27,480 | $25,479 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $3,096 | $3,193 | $3,288 | $3,381 | $3,472 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $10,877,754 | $2,976,850 | $31,968 | $30,861 | $28,951 |
| Total liabilities | $11,393,714 | $5,185,720 | $307,310 | $242,145 | $200,136 |
| Net assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Without donor restrictions | $17,108,969 | $11,504,538 | $12,560,391 | $14,318,912 | $10,421,840 |
| With donor restrictions | $19,867,507 | $20,057,583 | $18,268,700 | $16,341,106 | $15,853,847 |
| Net assets | $36,976,476 | $31,562,121 | $30,829,091 | $30,660,018 | $26,275,687 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Total contributions | $6,010,286 | $6,232,419 | $3,925,916 | $2,318,386 | $2,062,663 |
| Program service revenue | $2,231,412 | $2,226,095 | $2,066,736 | $2,145,084 | $2,174,362 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $1,413,805 | $876,517 | $1,391,477 | $5,160,047 | $510,380 |
| Other revenue | $375,078 | ($34,135) | ($54,993) | $373,994 | $72,254 |
| Total other revenue | $4,020,295 | $3,068,477 | $3,403,220 | $7,679,125 | $2,756,996 |
| Total revenue | $10,030,581 | $9,300,896 | $7,329,136 | $9,997,511 | $4,819,659 |
| Expenses | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Program services | $6,716,627 | $5,403,850 | $4,641,693 | $4,490,687 | $4,804,036 |
| Management and general | $1,803,166 | $1,684,013 | $1,342,041 | $1,481,898 | $1,160,818 |
| Fundraising | $680,138 | $568,960 | $670,439 | $435,407 | $479,611 |
| Total expenses | $9,199,931 | $7,656,823 | $6,654,173 | $6,407,992 | $6,444,465 |
| Change in net assets | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $830,650 | $1,644,073 | $674,963 | $3,589,519 | ($1,624,806) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $830,650 | $1,644,073 | $674,963 | $3,589,519 | ($1,624,806) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Dr Barry Creamer | President | $198,216 |
| Kevin E Stilley | CBO/VP of Finance | $136,340 |
| Michael R Clayton | VP of Advancement (Part Year) | $111,879 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2019
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 2/14/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
On October 5, 1969, his twenty-fifth anniversary as the pastor of First Baptist Dallas, Dr. W.A. Criswell presented to the church his vision for an institute that would provide biblical teaching for lay people that would be both intellectually and spiritually sound. The church enthusiastically approved the recommendation on October 7, 1970, and began developing the curriculum that would reflect the nature of the lifelong ministry of W.A. Criswell: teaching centered on the Bible, with an evangelical theology and evangelistic passion.
Classes began on January 12, 1971, with two certificate programs consisting of twelve semester hours of study in theology and the Old and New Testaments. On the first night, 329 students enrolled. For the next two years the institute operated as a night school, providing working lay people with an education previously unavailable to them at a convenient time.
By 1973 a three-year diploma program had been established, and by 1977 both a bachelor's and master's program were instituted. The American Association of Bible Colleges (AABC) accredited the undergraduate programs in 1979, and in 1985 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accredited all programs of study. At that time the name of the institute changed to Criswell College. Since its founding, the institute had been housed in the facilities of First Baptist Church, but in 1989 prayers for a dedicated campus were answered and the Gaston Avenue property was acquired. The property was remodeled and in January 1991, the College moved onto its own campus just minutes from Downtown Dallas.
Since that time the College has created and maintained a governing board independent from First Baptist Church Dallas, and developed other undergraduate and graduate programs, diversifying its curriculum to include various majors in addition to the biblical studies major. The College has also established several online graduate degree programs. Beginning fall 2020, each entering freshman who graduates from Criswell does so with a double major (Bible & Theology and another of their choosing), equipping them to influence the culture for Christ in whichever field they pursue.
Although the organization has developed from an institute for lay people to an accredited college, its distinctives have not changed: an uncompromising commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture, expository preaching, the study of biblical languages, personal evangelism, international missions, and hands-on practical ministry training.